Chin up, Blues, you've got these guys covered

By Roy Masters

The Blues camp was incensed by a remark from Maroons forward Sam Thaiday when asked what was Queensland's biggest danger in the lead-up to Origin I.

Instead of saying NSW's new halves pairing or the footwork of the Blues forwards, he said: ''The buffet.''

Wrapped up … Origin rookie Todd Carney is taken down by veteran Brent Tate.

Photo: Getty Images

This smug comment was translated to mean the Queensland team feared a roast potato from the hotel buffet spread more than NSW.

Yet, as it transpired, the hot potato in the hands of the Blues halves and back-rowers will cause the Maroons more problems over the next two games than the free tucker in the team hotel.

NSW can win this year's Origin series because they use the ball better than Queensland. In Melbourne, despite losing by eight points, the Blues were more dangerous on the advantage line with their passing than the Maroons.

The Maroons usually defend set plays very well but when confronted with unstructured, broken attack, they panicked. The consensus of past Queensland players after the game was: ''We got out of jail.''

NSW's long kicking game also offers promise of the Blues spending more future Origin minutes at the Queensland end of the field.

Surely, Carney's future goal attempts will be superior to his uncertain and failed approach to the conversion of NSW's first try.

Nor will he fail to find touch from a penalty again.

The left foot of Blues hooker Robbie Farah also allows NSW to compete with Queensland in attacking kicks from dummy half via the left boot of their No. 9, captain Cameron Smith.

Farah complemented the NSW halves and has an assured future in the Blues team, but has one enduring problem.

He has a reputation for being selfish, which wasn't helped when he tried to sneak between some big-bodied Queenslanders seeking a dummy-half try, while his teammates were poised for a quick second-last tackle passing movement.

NSW wingers Jarryd Hayne and Akuila Uate were allowed to roam and are more versatile than their Queensland opposites.

Hayne wants to win Origin matches in the way birds love to fly and fish like to swim. Old coaches never lose the skill of being able to look into the eyes of a player and read desire. It's nearly 25 years since I finished coaching but, on Monday night, after speaking to the Blues, I saw want in eyes of all players, but mostly Hayne.

His passion to play, to excel, almost ached.

NSW coach Ricky Stuart will probably keep the same team, although he may consider Storm second-rower Ryan Hoffman, provided he recovers from injury and plays for Melbourne before Origin II. Manly's Jamie Buhrer was a wasted replacement, but his time will come.

Buhrer's clubmate Tony ''T-rex'' Williams threatened and will play more minutes next match.

Stuart is also entitled to review the uninspiring performance of fullback Brett Stewart, although his demotion may impact on his brother Glenn. He now has 16 Blue brothers, not just his filial one.

Queensland have the more composed, structured game plan, built on six successive series wins.

Their big forwards gather momentum and their clever backs sweep the ball wide, with fullback Billy Slater's hands the equivalent of a world-class conjurer.

Plus they have the power of Inglis. But Blues centre Josh Morris, playing on the right side for the first time, gathered Inglis in a tackle and threw him over the sideline.

It was the closest Inglis had ever come to being ''rag-dolled'' and he sought Morris out for retribution.

Morris's partner, Michael Jennings, proved to be the type of ''dust or diamonds'' player that caused Penrith to send him to the Windsor Wolves. But sin-binning him was harsh, particularly when Queensland ignited the melee.

There has been an accepted double standard with Origin but NSW gained none of its benefits.

Queensland's Smith was not punished for a left elbow to the head of Uate, while the Blues lock Greg Bird was penalised for a back-slamming tackle that was treated as if it was a spear tackle.

Queensland scored from the penalty and also while Jennings was sin-binned.

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Even the clock was against the Blues. Jennings was in the sin bin for 10 minutes and 46 seconds, the additional three-quarters of a minute the result of the referee failing to call time off.

Surely, the referees and match officials won't have as significant an impact on the game in Sydney, where all tickets will likely be sold out today.